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A Problem With The Space Station? A farewell to a Famous Historic Ship; Pre-School Class Making Big Changes in Their Environment. Aired 4- 4:10a ET
Aired November 18, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What up, sunshine? Welcome to CNN 10. Hope you had an awesome weekend. We`ve got a stacked show for you today, so let`s jump
right in.
And we start with some news in space. There`s a serious situation unfolding 250 miles above Earth. The International Space Station, or ISS, which is
about the size of a football field, has been experiencing air leaks. The leaks, in its Russian section, were first spotted in 2019, but have
recently gotten worse. The space needs to maintain its air pressure to keep astronauts safe.
The problem is located in a tunnel connecting a Russian module called Zvezda to a docking port where the spacecraft delivers supplies. NASA is
very concerned about the structural integrity of the space station, and is warning of serious consequences. NASA added extra emergency seats to their
SpaceX spacecraft in case of an evacuation.
On the other side, though, Russia`s space agency, Roscosmos, maintains that fears of catastrophic failure are unrealistic. Russia has actively searched
for and repaired problem areas, reducing leak rates, and have concluded that operations can continue safely.
Despite disagreements, NASA and Roscosmos continue to work together closely. They`ve taken the precautionary step of keeping that section
sealed off unless they need to access it. The ISS has been continuously occupied by astronauts since 2000. Scientists conduct research that helps
us understand things like how to grow food in space and how diseases behave in zero gravity. The station had planned to operate until at least 2030,
but this situation is raising important questions about its future.
Ten second trivia. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, or Washington, D.C.?
On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in Independence Hall in Philly.
In Philadelphia, an iconic American ocean liner is going to sink on purpose. The SS United States, once the holder of the transatlantic speed
record, will soon transform into the world`s largest artificial reef. After sitting idle for nearly 30 years, this legendary vessel that carried
presidents, the Mona Lisa, was going to find new purpose on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): In Philadelphia, off an industrial road, behind shopping centers and surrounded by fence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s just something that she evokes, an energy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A majestic American work of art sits waiting for its final journey to the bottom of the ocean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I`m heartbroken. I`m really heartbroken to see this happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is America`s flagship, the SS United States. A glorious ship, bigger than the Titanic, nearly as long as the Chrysler
building, and 70 years ago, the United States burst into life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could there be a greater name for the world`s greatest ship?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ocean liner carried four U.S. presidents, stars, and celebrities, and even transported the Mona Lisa. But her crowning
achievement was breaking the transatlantic speed record in 1952.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her owners were awarded the Hale`s trophy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The designer, William Francis Gibbs, knew then she was a masterpiece. And today, his granddaughter knows it too.
SUSAN GIBBS, SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY`S PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER: This is where my grandfather was when the ship smashed the transatlantic speed
record on her maiden voyage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Susan Gibbs leads the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit which has fought for years to preserve the ship.
GIBBS: This was a big public area. There was a library here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the SS United States has sat dormant in Philadelphia for nearly 30 years.
GIBBS: You just see the bow of the ship pointing toward Lowe`s and Ikea, and you just think she is ready to bust and move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year, after legal battles and economic headwinds, the ship was evicted from its pier.
GIBBS: We were on a furious search for an alternate parking spot, scanned the nation, and unfortunately were unable to secure another spot for her,
partly because what makes her so amazing, she`s so big, makes her challenging to dock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Instead, this fall, a county in Florida purchased the United States to sink her in the Gulf of Mexico.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t even think of it as purchasing it to sink it. I think of it as to welcoming it into our family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The goal? To turn her into the world`s largest artificial reef, helping the environment, attracting divers for years to
come, and in a way, preserving her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we don`t do anything with her, she`ll be scrapped. And so I always remember that. And then being here today, I got a little
teary-eyed because I was like, can you imagine if this went to the scrapyard? I mean, we are going to pay as much respect to her as we
possibly can.
GIBBS: We prevented her from being scrapped and we`re very excited about her next chapter. She will live on in a different way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve been paying this ship as long as I`ve been in Philly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In her final days afloat in Philly, admirers stopped to pay tribute in their own ways.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kind of heartbreaking to see it go. Having spent so much time observing it and appreciating it. Perfect landmark down here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: It is that time of year again in Alaska where the sun`s going to set and not rise again for two months. Here to explain the incredibly awesome
phenomenon called Polar Night is our incredibly awesome meteorologist, Alli Chinchar.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That`s right, Coy. Every single winter in the Northern Hemisphere, any town or community inside the Arctic Circle,
this red ring you see here, goes through a phenomenon called Polar Night, where the sun sets and doesn`t come back for two months.
One of those towns in particular, this one, Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, Alaska, will have the sun go down just before 2 p.m. local time on
Monday and it doesn`t come back until January 22nd of next year. That is 66 straight days where the sun never fully rises above the horizon. And
they`re not alone. Any of those towns inside the Arctic Circle will see something similar.
Now here`s the flip side though, Coy. Come summertime, we see the opposite, something known as the Midnight Sun, where the sun comes up and doesn`t
really go below the horizon for two months as well.
WIRE: All right, our next story is about a group of preschoolers digging in, helping to keep their island nation beautiful. The Seychelles, located
in the Indian Ocean off East Africa`s coast, is an archipelago of 115 islands with pristine shores, stunning waters, but lately trash from the
ocean is threatening these youngsters` lovely island home. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 kilometers from the coast of East Africa, lies
the Seychelles archipelago. The African nation is famous for their ring- shaped reefs and islands known as atolls. As breathtaking as they are, these islands are under threat.
SEDNA CHETTI, DIRECTOR MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, SEYCHELLES: In the last 20 years, a lot has changed. Recently, we have a lot of people working
towards conservation. There`s a lot of young people coming forward, which is why we`re interested in working together with the kids.
My name is Sedna Chetti. I am the director of Montessori International School, located here in the Seychelles. Montessori International School is
a preschool for children between zero to six years old. The first years of life, I think, is the most important to everyone. That`s when we`re really
absorbing the most, and that`s when we`re learning the most from our environment. So for the last few days, we`ve been going around with the
kids to teach them a bit about our atolls and also why we need to protect it.
STEWART: A recent study estimated that more than 500 tonnes of marine plastic debris have accumulated on Aldabra, the largest of the Seychelles
atolls, about 1,000 kilometers southwest of Mahe Island.
CORIANNA JULIE, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, SEYCHELLES ISLANDS FOUNDATION: So we have a lot of plastic litter collected on the beaches, and this is
marine debris, and they have terrible, terrible effects on the ecosystem.
CHETTI: Bringing the kids out in nature, it builds a certain love and acceptance to nature. More than it is about conservation, it is also about
their growth and development and how in touch they will be as they grow older to animals, to plants.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10, a colossal closure. After nearly two decades of sending thrill-seekers towards the stratosphere at
nearly 130 miles per hour, the Kingda Ka Roller Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure is being retired. It was one of the world`s tallest coasters,
with a 456-foot drop.
Six Flags says new attractions are soon to come. Well done, Kingda Ka. I guess you could say you`ve been a screaming success.
All right, superstars, today`s shout-out is going to Wade Hampton High School, Greenville, South Carolina. Rise up. Life`s like a roller coaster,
y`all. Ups, downs, twists, turns. Best thing we can do is just hold on tight, try to breathe, and smile.
I`m Coy Wire. This is CNN 10. I`ll see you right back here tomorrow on the show.
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